Witness to a Prosecution
The Myth of Michael Milken
by Richard V. Sandler
Narrated by Richard V. Sandler
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Pub Date Aug 01 2023 | Archive Date Aug 01 2023
Advantage Media Group | Forbes Books
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Description
In 1986, the SEC and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York began an investigation into Michael Milken, Drexel Burnham Lambert, and its High Yield and Convertible Bond Department, a department Michael created and was head of. Michael was the most successful and innovative financier of his time. Drexel, an upstart investment bank was also the most successful securities firm on Wall Street, thanks to Michael.
What was the investigation into Michael Milken going to focus on, other than his innovation in the financial markets? Mike was democratizing access to capital for the 99% of companies that could not previously access the public market and created a financial revolution that continues to this day. The high yield bond market grew rapidly from the end of the 1970’s from $70 billion to over $2.2 trillion dollars in 2022. He created an industry that gave new businesses and investors the opportunity to create value by financing companies that were too small to access the markets.
Richard Sandler decided to represent Michael as his personal lawyer, and to be responsible for working with the lawyers they hired as well as overseeing the defense. But they could never have dreamed of the chaos that lay ahead.
Neither of them could understand why the government thought it had a compelling reason to investigate Michael. Or why the media would be interested in building the investigation up into a firestorm. Of course, prosecutors want to win in high-profile cases, and prosecutorial witch-hunts and media hype can easily spin out of control, destroying the defendant in search of headlines and publicity as well as personal gain. Whenever the prosecution determines it will have the outcome it wants, no matter what, there is no escape.
But the injustice that Michael Milken faced was to be on a biblical scale. Richard Sandler has, after 36 years, decided to set the record straight. With never-before-seen transcripts of court documents, and a sharp analysis of each move and countermove, Witness to a Prosecution: The Myth of Michael Milken, is difficult to put down. Whether you are someone interested in understanding the criminal investigative process, or you just want to understand who Michael Milken is and what really happened to him, you will find that this is an eye-opening and important book that will be read and discussed for years to come.
Advance Praise
“Dissecting the criminal prosecution of a public figure, Witness to the Prosecution includes searing indictments of the criminal justice system in the US.”
Foreword Reviews
“Author Richard V. Sandler has a knack for accessibility, and it was fascinating to see such an accomplished legal mind open his world to every reader.”
Readers’ Favorite
“Readers who are interested in the workings of the criminal justice system or Milken’s case in particular will appreciate this detailed memoir.”
BookLife by Publishers Weekly
Featured Reviews
Jill W, Reviewer
"Witness to a Prosecution: The Myth of Michael Milken" gives a firsthand account of the federal investigation into Michael Milken and the High Yield and Convertible Bond Department, a department Michael created and headed at Drexel Burnham Lambert, a multinational investment bank. If you are interested in understanding the criminal investigative process or you want to understand who Michael Milken is and what really happened to him, then this is the book for you.
In 1986, the SEC and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York began investigating Michael Milken and the High Yield and Convertible Bond Department. At the time, Michael was the most successful and innovative financier and Drexel Burnham Lambert was the most successful securities firm on Wall Street, thanks to Michael. The author and narrator of the book, Richard Sandler, was a childhood friend of Michael's. The two friends went to high school and college together, lived together in the same fraternity, and began working together in 1983. When the investigation started in 1986, Sandler became Michael's personal lawyer and was responsible for working with the lawyers they hired and overseeing Michael's defense. Having firsthand knowledge of Michael and the prosecution, Sandler wrote this book because he wanted the true story told.
This was a really fascinating book setting the record straight. The author's experience as someone intimately involved in workings of the High Yield Department at Drexel, in the details of the investigation, and in Michael's defense made this a very important story to tell. Everything in the book was based upon court documents, transcripts from the classes Sandler taught, and Sandler's own firsthand accounts of what really happened. As a former prosecutor, I found this to be a very eye-opening book, and I learned a lot.
Thank you to NetGalley and Advantage Media Group, Forbes Books for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewer 1069314
Michael Milken was the most successful and innovative financier of his time, until 1986, when the SEC and the U.S. Attorney began an investigation into Milken and the investment firm he worked for. Richard Sandler decided to represent Milken as his personal lawyer, and to be responsible for working with the lawyers they hired as well as overseeing the defense. But they could never have dreamed of the chaos that lay ahead. The injustice that Milken faced through the investigation and trial was of epic proportions. After 36 years, Sandler in this book decides to set the record straight by providing never-before-seen transcripts of court documents and a sharp analysis of each move and countermove.
This was my first @netgalley audiobook! This was definitely an interesting story and I learned a lot about white collar crime. Sometimes all the financial and investments talk was a bit over my head and the legalese was fine with me as a lawyer but might be a little complex for some. Overall this was a very compelling account of white collar crime and the unusual trial and sentencing of a genuinely good man who was used by the SEC and the U.S. Attorney as an example and a scapegoat. The audiobook performance was great!
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